


It's good to know you work alone

by moor



Series: Tumblr request [46]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Humour, gen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-06 02:10:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19053133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moor/pseuds/moor
Summary: Based on prompt from @ohayohimawari (thank you!), "It's good to know you work alone" by Silversun Pickups.





	It's good to know you work alone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ohayohimawari](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohayohimawari/gifts).



 

The day by the bridge wasn’t the first time they met. It seemed like it to everyone else, which was exactly how they intended all those years ago. But it wasn’t the first time.

Kakashi had lost too many teammates when he and Zabuza first met.  
  
Zabuza had lost not only teammates, but family and country, too.

While both still held some dignity and pride, it was a loose thing, at times.

At the sheltered tavern stall in Lightning, they sat, feigning ignorance of the other like two men pretending to ignore the rain as it tinkled against the tin roof.

“You’re a long way from home,” said Zabuza, his cup in hand.

“Sometimes it’s good to get away,” replied Kakashi, nose stuck in an orange-jacketed book.

“Agreed,” said Zabuza.

They were silent as other nin wove in and out of the stall, very quickly for the most part upon sight of the two men who shared the bench out front.

“Are we doing this?” asked Zabuza after another round.  
  
“Don’t feel like it,” said Kakashi. “This is a masterpiece. It would be a shame to interrupt.”

Zabuza looked at Kakashi oddly for a minute before turning back to the bartender. “Another.”

The rain continued for hours, and so did their drinking.

“What’s it about?” asked Zabuza.

“Hm?”

The missing nin lifted his masked chin in the direction of Kakashi’s book.  
  
Kakashi’s eyes widened. “You’ve never read Icha Icha?”

Brows furrowing, Zabuza huffed. “Is that supposed to mean something?”

Kakashi was still staring at him, and Zabuza’s expression hardened defensively.

Whether he sensed the change in Zabuza or not, Kakashi began digging around in his hip pouch. “Here,” he said, handing over another orange-jacketed book to Zabuza. “It’s a spare. Please take care of my precious treasure.” He offered an eye-crease smile to the giant missing nin.

Tentatively Zabuza reached for the book and read the back. His hard expression froze, then rearranged itself into something vaguely insulted.

“It’s a classic,” assured Kakashi.

Nearly an hour later, Zabuza slapped the book down on the filthy counter. “You read this in public?”

“Shhhhh, don’t interrupt…”

“I’d rather fight than read this.”

“Keep going to the end,” urged Kakashi. Not looking up from his own copy, Kakashi flagged the bartender. “Another round for us.”

Zabuza frowned at Kakashi’s glib manner, but as the other man had ordered for them, he felt he couldn’t refuse. It was a rare moment of solidarity for him. He was so used to others following him without question that another offering something to him with no motivation was… unusual.

Was this sharing?

Curious and sensing no threat from the Copy Nin, Zabuza read on as the next cup tapped down against the table in front of him. He drank distractedly, more and more engrossed in spite of himself.

By the end of the book several hours later, Zabuza’s hard heart had softened. He’d felt the protagonist’s emotions, their longing, their pride, their dedication to their nindo. He identified with the glory of completing a mission, the honour of a well-fought battle, the loneliness of having no home to return to. The naughty bits were a nice touch, he had to admit, though perhaps the romance would have been more satisfying if it had been more stretched out?

Atop the worn bench under the stall’s overhang, Zabuza took a moment to breathe in deeply and close his brown eyes. The rain had petered off to mist, and it was comforting against his skin.

He closed the book and turned to his companion who sighed and closed his own tome.

Zabuza returned his copy.

“I know you will decline, but I make this offer regardless: Would you like to join me in our revolution in Mist?” asked Zabuza.

“I prefer to work alone.”

Zabuza nodded respectfully.   
  
“But you don’t work alone,” said Kakashi.

“I would prefer it, but my goals do not allow it,” said Zabuza.

Kakashi held his gaze with his visible eye and nodded once.

“Thank you for the company, Copy Nin.”

“Thank you for the drinks,” said Kakashi, before poofing away with a jovial salute and a cloud of smoke.

“Wha—You—”

The bartender sensed the mounting anger in his customer and delivered the tab from a distance. “That will be…”

Alone on the bench, Zabuza felt betrayed.

They needed to add “cheapskate” to Kakashi’s Bingo Book entry, he decided bitterly.

* * *

 

**The End.**

**Author's Note:**

> AN: No continuation of this fic is planned at this time. Thank you for reading.


End file.
